Cheesecake Cups (no bake)

INGREDIENTS

SCALE

• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tbsp salted butter, melted
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Optional toppings: raspberries, strawberries, whipped cream, broken cookies, graham cracker crumbs, etc.

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until it's evenly distributed.  Put approximately 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture into the bottom of each glass or serving dish. 
2. In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), pour the whipped cream in and beat on high until stiff peaks form (around one minute for me). 
3. Scrape the whipped cream into a second bowl, then combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and mix until completely smooth and creamy.
4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and stir until completely combined and creamy. 
5. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag (if you like) and pipe it into the cups. Or divide it evenly among your cups and spoon it in. 
6. Top with fresh fruit (optional), cover and chill for at least an hour before serving.

https://rosebakes.com/no-bake-cheesecake-cups-recipe/#tasty-recipes-52042-jump-target

 Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

• 1 cup chocolate chips I use semisweet
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream for melting chocolate chips
• ⅔ cup chilled heavy whipping cream for whipping
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• In a large bowl, heat chocolate chips and ½ cup cream until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. I do this in the microwave in 20 seconds increments, stirring well between each. Set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally (this took about 15 minutes).
• In the bowl of a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat ⅔ cups chilled cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form (see note about making extra for topping). Transfer the whipped cream to the refrigerator until the chocolate has cooled to room temperature.
• Using a rubber/silicone spatula, fold* the whipped cream into the melted chocolate. Once fully combined, transfer the mousse into individual serving dishes and chill for at least 2 hours. The colder it is, the more firm it will be. If you'd like it softer you can leave it at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a classic recipe, shared by my neighbor Cheri Taylor.  They were perfect--make a large jellyroll pan, cut clean, and taste especially good cold (keep them in the fridge)!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves

Mix all the dry ingredients (above) together.  Then add:

4 eggs
16 oz. pumpkin puree
1 c. vegetable oil

Mix together well.  
Pour into UNGREASED jellyroll pan.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Once cool, frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting.
(I use 1 block cream cheese, 1 stick butter, 3/4 bag powdered sugar, and a teaspoon or so of vanilla)

Easy Ice Cream Cake

I tasted better than I thought it would. The flavors and textures mixed well and did not just taste like layered ice cream sandwiches and toppings. I did double layers and put it in a deep pan, then just cut the pieces smaller--it looked better that way.

http://www.iheartnaptime.net/2011/07/ice-cream-cake.html

Strawberry-Lime Shortcake

I made THIS recipe twice while visiting grandparents this summer. It is easy, delicious, and was a huge hit!

A simple twist on a old classic!

Try it, you'll like it!

Chocolate Overdose Cake

Marc's all-time favorite dessert is this mousse cake. However, I only make it once or twice a year, due to the time and amount of chocolate involved. When I came upon this recipe, I knew it would rival the mousse cake. It does. WOW!

Chocolate Overdose Cake

(Annie's Eats found HERE)

Banana Boats

I ran across this blog posting today and decided to try these out for dessert tonight. Let me just say that the kids LOVED making them! Very fun, very easy, and very yummy. They would be the perfect dessert for camping, too--no measuring, no dishes, no clean-up (just roll up the foil and toss!).

Rather than try to re-explain this, I am just posting the link for the instructions/pictures:

http://erincobb.com/ThePigBear/?p=1653

My only improvement would be to go lighter on the chocolate chips, heavier on the marshmallows and cook for closer to 20 minutes.

Coffee Cake

When we were living in Rochester, NY for business school, my good friend JoAnna and I would randomly make dinner for each other's families. She brought this cake one night and I fell in love. I have been making it ever since. Even Marc likes it--and that is saying a lot, since he really doesn't eat any dessert that isn't chocolate!

This can also be made for breakfast, brunch, a baby shower, etc.

Coffee Cake

(thanks JoAnna!)

1 box yellow cake mix

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

2 eggs

3 Tblspn. vegetable oil

1 1/3 c. water

Mix all ingredients and pour ½ of batter into greased & floured 9-inch square cake pan.

Crumble:

½ c. flour

½ c. brown sugar

2 Tblspn. cinnamon

3 Tblspn. butter

Mix above ingredients and cut in butter to make a “crumble.”

Sprinkle first layer of batter with ½ crumble mixture.

Pour remaining cake batter on top of crumble and then top off with remaining crumble.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Drizzle with powdered sugar icing.

Fresh Apricot Pie

I am visiting family "up on the farm"--literally. My girls think they are in heaven feeding the horses, chickens and dogs every day. They also LOVE checking the garden each morning to see what is ready to pick. Aside from the countless zucchini, squash, tomatoes and berries they gather each morning, they also bring in a basket FULL of fresh apricots. My SIL's apricot tree literally has thousands of apricots on it--it is quite the sight to behold. I was excited to use them in a new recipe this week. I never, ever, make fruit pies because "if it's not chocolate, it's not dessert" (according to my husband) which means that I end up eating the whole thing by myself. But since we are here with lots of family around, this was the best time to make pie. I cheated and bought the frozen pie crusts and then just added the following filling:

Fresh Apricot Pie
(courtesy of allrecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fresh-Apricot-Pie/Detail.aspx )

4 cups sliced fresh apricots
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
Milk
Additional sugar

In a bowl, toss apricots, sugar, flour and nutmeg.
Sprinkle with lemon juice; mix well.
Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; add filling.
Roll out remaining pastry to make a lattice crust. Place over filling; seal and flute edges.
Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Cover edges of pastry loosely with foil.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown.

Of course, this is great a la mode (but can also be eaten for breakfast, as my BIL can testify!)

Lemon Lime Tartlets

My friend Chelsea sent me a link to this recipe just the other day. I usually just print things out and add it to my "to-try" box but this sounded so good at the time I made them right away. I had to laugh though--Chelsea thought it would be insulting to me for her to recommend a recipe that wasn't 100% from scratch. WHAT? Whatever Chels. I love easy, simple recipes that taste great--so thanks for sharing!
OH, one more thing...the recipe calls these "mini tartlets," but I would disagree. They are muffin sized, which was fine, but next time I make them, I am going to try them in mini-muffin tins--they would be awesome bite-size!

Mini Lemon Lime Tartlets

www.verybestbaking.com

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=143669

1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Bar Dough
1 can (14 oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 pkg. (8 oz.) 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel) or regular cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups thawed fat free, reduced fat or regular frozen whipped topping
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/4 cup lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
Additional lemon and lime quarter slices, peel curls or grated peel (optional)

Directions:PREHEAT oven to 325º F. Paper-line 24 muffin cups.

CUT dough along pre-scored lines; place one piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cookies will be puffy. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

BEAT sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese in large mixer bowl until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping. Divide mixture into two medium bowls. Stir lemon juice and lemon peel into one bowl and lime juice and lime peel into other bowl.

POUR about 3 tablespoons lemon cream cheese mixture over 12 cookie cups. Repeat with lime cream cheese mixture and remaining cookie cups.

(this step really confused me--I am not sure what they are trying to say, except to just put a scoop of the lime and a scoop of the lemon in each sugar cookie cup, which is what I did)Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Decorate with lemon and lime quarter slices, curls or peel, if desired. (or slice of strawberry or a raspberry)

TIPS:• Using low and reduced fat cream cheese and whipped topping helps to make these treats lower in fat.• Love lemon but not crazy about lime? Simply double the lemon juice and grated lemon peel in the recipe and leave out the lime, and make 24 lemon tartlets. Tartlets may be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Allow to thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Double Chocolate Brownies

A co-worker of mine brought these into work one night. I just about died. I LOVE brownies and these are some of the best I've tried. Maybe it's because I have gotten used to box brownie mix, I don't know, but these from-scratch brownies are amazing! They have a kind of crispy/flaky/sugary top and are super moist inside. DE-lish!

Double Chocolate Brownies

(thanks to Neal for sharing his mom's recipe!)

3/4 c. butter or margarine (1 1/2 sticks)

4 oz. (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate

(can substitute 12 Tblspn. cocoa powder + 1 tsp. margarine)

2 c. sugar

4 eggs

1 1/4 c. flour

2 tsp. vanilla

1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips (2 cups)

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 9 X 13 pan with nonstick foil, leaving overhang.

In a large glass bowl, heat butter and unsweetened chocolate in microwave for 2 minutes.

Stir until smooth, and let stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Whisk in sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla.

Stir in nuts and 1c. of the chocolate chips.

Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until top is dry to the touch.

Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Lift brownies from pan with foil, cut and serve.

For-The-Glory Pie

I'm pretty sure I tore this recipe out of a Better Homes & Gardens issue a few years back. I first made it for 4th of July while at my parents house 2 years ago and have made it several times since. Since berries are "in season" right now (at least price wise), I decided to make it on Superbowl Sunday. I have one serving left and am looking forward to finishing it off tonight!


For-The-Glory Pie
(Better Homes & Gardens)

8 oz. sour cream
¾-1 c. sugar (I use the lesser amount if the berries are fresh)
3 Tblspn. flour
¼ tsp. Salt
4 c. fresh blackberries (or you can use frozen berries, thawed)
¼ c. fine dry bread crumbs
2 Tblspn. sugar
1 Tblspn. butter, melted

Stir together the ¾ to 1 c. sugar, sour cream, flour and salt until combined. Set aside.
Place blackberries in a pre-baked pie shell.
(you can make your own favorite recipe, or buy a frozen-ready-to-bake one at the store)
Spread the sour cream mixture evenly over the berries. (I try to tap/push it down between the berries)
In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, 2 Tblspn. sugar and the melted butter.
Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on the sour cream mixture.
Cover the edge of the pie crust with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the top of the pie is golden and the berry mixture bubbles slightly.

Serve slightly warm (cool at least an hour) a la mode!

Croissant and Chocolate Bread Pudding

Even though the holidays are over, we still crave chocolate around here. We had this on Monday night for FHE. It is great served warm, and of course, a la mode!

Croissant and Chocolate Bread Pudding
(Real Simple, Dec. 2008)
http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1858486

Unsalted butter for the baking dish, at room temperature

6 large egg yolks

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 croissants, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 pound)

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks

Heat oven to 375° F.

Butter an 8-inch square or other shallow 2-quart baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg.

Add the croissants and chocolate and mix to combine.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make-Ahead Tip: Cut the croissants and chop the chocolate, then store them at room temperature in separate resealable plastic bags for up to 1 day.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Elusive Blackberry Cake

When our husbands were in business school, my friend JoAnna McAllister and I used to bring each others family dinner once a week--just to give each other one night off from cooking. She brought me this cake one night. I have since made it for brunch, too. It's especially good with fresh picked berries!

Elusive Blackberry Cake
(thanks to JoAnna McAllister)

1 stick butter
1 c. sugar (reserve 1 Tblspn. for sprinkling on berries)
2 eggs
1 tsp. lemon extract
Sift together:
1 c. flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
2 baskets blackberries (raspberries are good, too!)

Beat together butter and sugar until light.
Add eggs and extract and mix well.
Add flour and baking powder—mix lightly.
Turn into buttered 8 inch square pan.
Top with berries and sprinkle with remaining 1 Tblspn. sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.
Garnish with powdered sugar.

**The cake will rise up and bake around the berries, so there is no need to push them down in the batter. Just lay them on top and sprinkle the sugar. Guess that's why it's called "elusive"!

Pecan Tassies

A friend from Rochester, NY made these for a farewell luncheon she put on for me when we moved to Boston. I am not a pecan pie fan, but I fell in love with these. They are so easy, I don't know why I wait until Thanksgiving to make them. I think I ate 90% of them myself--I was just so easy to pop one in my mouth while on the go with the kids! :) (FYI: they taste even better with a dollop of whipping cream on top, but do that just before serving!)

Pecan Tassies
(thanks to Emily Owsley!)

3 oz. cream cheese
½ c. butter
1 c. flour

1 egg
¾ c. brown sugar
1 Tblspn. softened butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
dash of salt
2/3 c. finely chopped pecans

Combine cream cheese, butter, and flour.
Form into ball, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Mix together egg, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, salt and finely chopped pecans.
Roll out dough 1/8” thick and use 3-inch circle cutter.
Place circle of dough in mini-muffin cups.
Fill with brown sugar-pecan filling.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Garnish with whipping cream.

Pumpkin Carrot Swirl Bars

I don't like pumpkin anything--but I like these! But I was asked to make these last year for the teachers at the elementary school. They were really good, so I saved the recipe. I am glad I did because I am in charge of the Teacher Appreciation Committee this year and so we made them again. Good, easy, makes a lot and cut/present well. I think they are "relatively" low fat, too!

Pumpkin Carrot Swirl Bars
(this recipe came from Nestle)
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=28459

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup finely shredded carrot
Cream Cheese Topping (recipe follows)

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda in small bowl. Beat granulated sugar, butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin and carrot; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; mix well.
Spread into prepared pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of Cream Cheese Topping over batter; swirl mixture with spoon.
BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
FOR CREAM CHEESE TOPPING:
COMBINE 4 ounces softened light cream cheese (Neufchâtel), 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon milk in small mixer bowl until thoroughly blended.

Black Bottom Macaroon

I tried this dessert at a baby shower a few weeks back and just had to have the recipe. It is so good and so rich!

Black Bottom Macaroon
(thanks to Angelica Mings for sharing her recipe!)

1 19-21oz brownie mix + ingredients to make it

2 egg whites

14 oz sweetened flaked cocout

14oz can sweetened condensed milk

2.25 oz sliced almonds

2T. chocolate morsels or a hershy bar

1t. vegetable oil

Make brownie mix according to package, bake in a tart pan (I used a springform pan) for about 20min. Remove from oven. Mix egg whites, sweetened condensed milk, and coconut. Top baked brownies with coconut mixture, put in several globs and spread out.

Bake for an additional 20 min at 350 degrees.

Sprinkle with almonds and cook for another 5 min.

Remove from oven.

Microwave chocolate morsels and vegetable oil together and stir until smooth. Put melted chocolate into a sandwich bag, cut a small tip off of the corner and drizzle chocolate over the tart. Enjoy!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Cake

We went up to Flower Mound to visit some friends from business school and Jessica served this one morning for breakfast. Jessica originally got the recipe from another business school friend, Catherine. Seems like most of my good, tried and true recipes have come from business school friends! Anywa, this was YUMMY! Even Marc, who doesn't like cake, breakfast, or anything sweet but not chocolate, loved this! I made it myself this weekend and took it to an evening baby shower.

(Disclaimer: I tried to do some serious multi-tasking and doubled this recipe--one for the cake walk at Fall Fest and one for a baby shower and did it all while hosting playgroup at my house. Guess with 5 little ones running around, I was bound to make a calculation mistake. I did. I put 1c. of extra flour in--oops. So to those who were at the baby shower and thought the cake was quite dry.....it was. But I promise, if you follow the directions and can do math better than me, it will turn out great. It really is yummy!)

Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Cake
(thanks to Jessica--and ultimately Catherine--for sharing!)

Crumble and set 1 cup aside:
2 ¼ c. flour
¾ c. sugar
¾ c. butter

Mix:
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ c. sour cream
1 tsp. almond extract
1 egg

Use a 9” pie pan; push up a little on the sides.

Filling (Catherine 1 ½ times following recipe and so did I!)

Beat, add to center:
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ c. sugar
1 egg

Top with:
½ c. rasp preserves (swirl)
frozen raspberries

Sprinkle 1 cup of crumble on top.
Add almonds to top (optional).
Bake @ 350º for 45-55 minutes.
Cool to room temperature

(or serve warm so that the cream cheese "filling" oozes out, makes a mess and tastes that much better! :)

Banana Cake

I got this recipe from a "roommate" from BYU. It is easy, yummy, and presents well. Thanks Angie!

Layered Banana Cake
(thanks to Angie Gubler-Coons, who got this recipe from her mom)

Cream together:
2 sticks butter
1 C. sugar

Then add:
2 eggs
1 C. mashed bananas (usually takes 3! My trick is to freeze bananas as they go bad and then when I need them, just let them defrost before using. They look like black slugs, but create much more juice, leaving the cake more moist)

Sift together:
1 ¾ C. Flour
½ tsp. Salt
2/3 tsp. Baking soda

Then add:
5 Tblspn. Buttermilk
1 tspn. Vanilla
Mix until just barely combined

Grease and flour two 9” round cake pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

**I usually double the recipe and make 4 layers because they come out rather thin. Four layers make a nice size cake. Then I usually just generously frost between the layers, but not around the outside of the cake. Makes it look more “rustic” or “artsy”!

FROSTING:
Cream together:
8 oz. cream cheese
6 Tblspn. Butter

Then add:
3 C. powdered sugar
1 tspn. Vanilla

juice of ½ a lemon

Cream Cheese Streusel Bars

These are REALLY good. I got the recipe from "Light & Tasty", whose premise is to take a recipe and then use all low/no fat ingredients to make it "light." However, I used good ol' FULL fat ingredients--maybe that's why they were so good.
Wish I would have taken a picture of these--they turn out picture worthy--we just ate them too fast. You can click on the link to see the recipe and picture on it's own site.
FYI: I doubled the recipe and used a jellyroll pan, which worked great!

Cream Cheese Streusel Bars
(Light & Tasty, April/May 2007)
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Makeover-Cream-Cheese-Streusel-Bars

1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, flour, cocoa and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping; press remaining crumb mixture into an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 8-12 minutes or until set.

In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, milk, egg and vanilla until blended. Pour over crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Top with reserved crumb mixture; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until filling is set. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 15 servings.